Food Network Magazine - (06)June 2020

Nutrition experts agree

that cutting back on red

meat is a good thing, but

critics point out that an

Impossible Whopper from

the drive-through is not

exactly health food. What’s

the better choice? There

isn’t a clear answer. “The

science shows that moving

toward a plant-based

diet has health benefits,”

says Debbie Petitpain, a

registered dietitian and

spokesperson for the

Academy of Nutrition and

Dietetics. “But processed

food is processed food,

and these plant-based

burgers are no different.

It’s a trade-off.” Here’s

how real and plant-based

burgers stack up.

Health

Check

Numbers are based on a 4-ounce

85 percent lean beef burger and a

4-ounce Beyond Burger patty.

REAL VS FAKE

280 Calories 260

21g Protein 20g

77 mg Cholesterol 0 mg

0g Fiber 2g

17g Total Fat 18g

75 mg Sodium 350 mg

7g Saturated Fat 5g

PATTIES

Both Impossible and Beyond

brands are sold as premade

patties, or you can form your own

from a pound of ground “meat.”

Shape into ¾-inch-thick patties

and season lightly with salt and

pepper (plant-based meat

already contains a lot of sodium;

see right). Grill on oiled grates

or cook in an oiled cast-iron

skillet over medium-high heat,

3 to 4 minutes per side.

TOPPINGS

Go bold with toppings like pickles

and onions; they’ll help mask the

earthy flavor and the slightly

spongy texture. And consider

adding a runny egg to make your

patty a fully loaded bistro burger!

Unless you’re vegan, there’s

no reason to skip the cheese:

We chose American because

it’s such a great melter.

CONDIMENTS

Our test kitchen chefs don’t

love the flavor of the “meat” on

its own; they recommend a

strong-flavored condiment like

chipotle mayonnaise. To make

your own, mix ¼ cup mayonnaise

with 1 tablespoon adobo sauce

(from a can of chipotles).

TEST KITCHEN TIPS

for Plant-Based Ground Meat

Not all “beef” browns in the

same way. Our chefs noticed

that the Impossible Foods

product browned more easily

than Beyond Meat patties,

which stayed lighter, like

ground turkey.

You can use the “beef” as a

one-for-one swap in recipes.

The product tastes best in

dishes that contain tomato

sauce and other acidic

ingredients: taco meat, meat

sauce and chili, for example.

If you’re used to cooking

lean beef, be prepared for

something a little fattier.

Plant-based beef releases

quite a bit of liquid as it cooks,

comparable to what you’d

expect from 80/20 beef.

123

in the know

26 FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE ●JUNE 2020

PHOTO: RALPH SMITH; FOOD STYLING: JAMIE KIMM.

HOW TO

Build a

Plant-Based Burger

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